The Genius Files: Turkey Turkey!

Image by Jenny Toms from Pixabay

Kate Davis, YSS Board Member and Programming Consultant for the Prairie Lakes Library System has introduced a new new email blast for her library system called The Genius Files. Here's Genius Files #5, focused on Thanksgiving/Turkey themed storytime.

Today's Genius Files was inspired by my 3 year-old grandson, Benji, as he wiggled and danced through our Target run yesterday singing, "I believe in the turkey in me!"  On our way home, his mama played the song "Turkey Turkey" for me so I could hear where these crazy lyrics were coming from. Turns out that it is one of the BEST Thanksgiving songs I've heard in years, so I had to share with you all! (I've also added some other super fun, Thanksgiving storytime favorite songs for you!)

Turkey Turkey (Big Block Singsong)

Turkey Song (La La Librarian)

Albuquerque Turkey (D.B. Rouse and the Blue Kazoo)

Let's Get Funky with Tommy the Turkey (Jack Hartman)

Looking for more rhymes, fingerplays, songs, book suggestions, and craft ideas for your Thanksgiving storytime? Here you go!

Sweet, Sweet Lullabies

Image by Daniela Dimitrova from Pixabay

Whenever blogger Tess Prendergast posts in the ALSC blog, I pay attention. 

Recently, she explored the importance of lullabies across cultures in soothing babies and tots through her own experiences as a librarian, professor and researcher. And she highly recommends using them in library programming.

Tess writes: "How should children’s librarians encourage lullaby singing? No matter what your cultural background, if you grew up in a family that sang lullabies, and you still remember them, that’s great. You can share those same lullabies in any language and families will love them. You can also check out Putumayo Kids lullaby collections for samples of lullabies from around the world. Don’t forget to check out the always incredible resources over at Mother Goose on the Loose."

To read this well-researched and fascination post, stop here. [Lullabies in the Library. Prendergast, Tess. ALSC blog. April 30, 2023.]

Resources for Early Literacy Practices in Storytime

Today we will share with you content and advice you can use to fill your storytimes with experiences rich in early literacy skill building.

If you are looking for storytime books you can use to intentionally address early literacy practices, check out the shortlist of titles currently being considered for the CLEL Bell award (an award given by the Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy organization). The award recognizes picture books "that provide excellent support of early literacy skills for young children." 

Are you someone who knows the songs and rhymes you sing in storytime foster early literacy skills and encourage healthy child development, but you don't know exactly how the songs and rhyme do so? Here is a resource for you! 

Jessica Baudin-Griffin, early childhood educator, created a curriculum called Intellidance®. She shares her dance, music, and play activities on YouTube and in the videos explains how each song supports either early literacy skills or physical development skills. This rhyme is a good example of the type of content Jessica puts out. You can use Jessica's child development explanations only for your own knowledge, or you can also share the messages with caregivers. And browsing the large collection of songs will refresh your supply of storytime content!

Finally, here is a reminder of all the great resources you can find on the Jbrary website (and YouTube channel). On the website is a long list of storytime resources, including three blog posts on how to share early literacy messages in storytime—check out these ideas on when to give tips, these examples of giving messages using personal stories, and this round up of other bloggers talking about early literacy messages.

Who Knew "Baby Shark Song" Could Save a Life?

Lifehacker shared an article about how kids can learn the CPR chest compression rate (100-120 beats per minute) with the kid-friendly Baby Shark Song.   Read more about it here.

Opening and Closing Songs for Storytime

Do you have a favorite opening song for Storytime? Do you use a closing song? Do you change it for different sessions? If you are looking for some new ideas, Storytime Katie has collected a few for you on her blog. See them HERE.

My favorite opener is called Hands Go Up and this is how it goes:

Hands go up,
Hands go down.
I can turn
around and round.
I can jump
upon two shoes.
I can listen,
so can you.
I can sit,
I'll show you how.
Storytime is starting now!

And then I clap and make any announcements or give orientation information to newcomers.

I don't usually use a closing song for family or all ages storytime because our craft and social time indicates the end of the formal storytime. With babies and toddlers, I do use an opening and closing song. I use Tickle the Clouds to close which is one of those listed on Storytime Katie's blog.

I can't get this song out of my head!

Pixabay

There are those songs that stay in your head all day when you hear even a little snippet. Hopefully, the song is one you like.

Last week in storytime, I played a new song to me, Laura Doherty's "Kitty Cat". I learned about it on Storytime Katie who does the song with puppets. The storytime kids and I just danced around with shakers as part of our musical break.

For the rest of the day and week that song played in my head. Kitty cat, kitty cat, oh kitty cat. I was reminded of another storytime song that has the same effect- "I Know a Chicken" by Laurie Berkner. I know a chicken and she laid an egg... a shaky egg!

Which songs stay in your head long after storytime?

Toddler Storytime: Songs to Get the Wiggles Out

The geniuses at Jbrary bring us some great insight into Toddler Storytime and "moving, grooving, and putting all that squirmy toddler energy to good use."

Lindsay notes that "a toddler’s physical development is closely tied to their literacy development. It’s unfair of us to expect them to sit still for a 30-minute storytime, and I always let caregivers know it’s okay if their toddler moves around as long as the caregiver keeps them clear of my storytime supplies."  She then goes on to list her favorite songs/rhymes that incorporate movement into Toddler Storytime.  To explore the list and read the rest of her post, click HERE.

Music and Early Literacy

Lately, I've been promoting kids and family music as a way to develop early literacy skills. Some of my favorite artists include Ella Jenkins, Hap Palmer, Raffi, José-Luis Orozco, Elizabeth Mitchell, David Landau (a Madison area artist who has excellent rates for library programs - FYI), and the Laurie Berkner Band.

A recent discovery of mine, but an artist who's been around for a long time is Susie Tallman. I especially like the albums Children's Songs: A Collection of Childhood Favorites and Let's Go! Travel, Camp and Car Songs, but she has many others including  Classic Nursery Rhymes which features some diverse arrangements of traditional nursery rhymes.

http://www.susietallman.com/records/childrens/index.html

Earlier in March, Jodie who blogs at Growing Book by Book: Nurturing Our Youngest Readers wrote about kids' songs that build literacy skills.

What are your favorite kids' and family musicians? What songs do you love to use in storytimes? Do you sing? Use a playlist? Share with us.

Songs for Storytimes

We know that singing is one of the early literacy practices along with talking, writing, reading, and playing. So where do you find new songs for your storytimes?

Looking for new songs? Want some ideas for incorporating songs into your storytime? Jbrary.com has videos of songs, including rhythm stick ideas and some signing on their YouTube channel. Jbrary is the creation of two children's librarians from Canada, Dana and Lindsey, who've assembled a library of storytime resources and even categorized them for us. How about this one called Five Elephants in the Bathtub: A Storytime Flannel Song?

Tales and Tunes Storytime

Our guest blogger today is Amanda Moss Struckmeyer, a YSS member from the Middleton Public Library.

 

I am not a natural musician.  I play very basic banjo (just a few chords) and I like to sing, but I’m not great at it.  Mainly I like to make noise.  Recently, though, I’ve been bringing my banjo to the library to play for our new Tales and Tunes storytime.      

With music’s natural connection to early literacy in mind, we developed Tales and Tunes in hopes of offering our young patrons a chance to dance, sing, move, and explore music as a group.  We offered Tales and Tunes originally during a storytime break to find out whether patrons would enjoy a music-based program.  We had a very enthusiastic response; we advertised the program for ages 2 and up, and over 70 patrons attended.  We’re currently working Tales and Tunes in to our regular storytime rotation! 

Tips for starting out:

·         Kids love props for dancing and movement!  Scarves, egg shakers, rhythm sticks, and bean bags are fabulous, but lengths of crepe paper streamers or ribbons, plastic containers with a few tablespoons of dry beans inside, or even two hands (for clapping) work just as well. 

·         Select songs that appeal to you!  Chances are, if you’re excited about singing and dancing, the kids will be, too.  

·         Choose books that have an easy connection to music or chanting.  Look for short, rhyming refrains that can be chanted or sung as a group.

·         Encourage adults to participate!  Offer them bean bags, compliment them on their dance moves, and incorporate partner activities, such as a bean bag toss, to get adults on their feet and interacting with their children. 

·         If you play an instrument- even just a little bit- play a song or two!  A storytime audience is very forgiving, and you’ll likely feel like a rock star before the program is over. 

Sample Program Outline:

Welcome Song (with banjo accompaniment): “I’m in the Mood for Singing”

Old Favorite (with banjo accompaniment): “She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain”

Book: Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin

Bean Bag Songs (on CD, with bean bags): “Bean Bag Rock” from Kimbo’s Bean Bag Activities & Coordination Skills, “Beanie Bag Dance” by Greg & Steve

Book: Dr. Seuss’s ABC (sung to the tune of the alphabet song)

Egg Shaker Songs (on CD, with egg shakers): “I Know a Chicken” by Laurie Berkner, “Twist and Shout” by The Beatles

Song (on CD): “The Airplane Song” by Laurie Berkner (we had children “fly” past the egg shaker bag and drop their eggs off before beginning this song)

Book: Dancing Feet by Craig Lindsey

Rhythm Stick Song (on CD, with rhythm sticks): “Mahna Mahna” by Cake

Scarf Song (sung, with scarves): Wind, O Wind

Ending Song: “Goodbye” by Stacy Buehler

Hand stamps and good-byes

 

Sing, Baby, Sing!

Katie over at Storytime Secrets has a great blog post on creating your own "Piggyback songs" - borrowing a traditional tune and setting new lyrics to it.  She not only shares her DIY method, but also shares some picture books that get you in the right frame of mind to let your creative self go!

Image: 'Piggy Back' http://www.flickr.com/photos/95492938@N00/6705328883